House Appropriations Committee

Allies for Cherry Point supports the F-35 program because it is critical to the future of MCAS Cherry Point and FRC East. In addition, ACT believes that the F-35 manufacturing and maintenance contract with Lockheed Martin also has a significant positive economic impact throughout the State.

Lockheed Martin’s F-35 is delivering more than just air combat superiority to the men and women of the United States armed forces. As an added benefit for the nation’s economy, it’s simultaneously delivering tens of thousands of high paying, high quality jobs to American workers across the country, and around the world.

NC Private Sector
(2015 data provided by Lockheed Martin)

12 supplier/contractor locations

1,220 Direct and indirect jobs

$103,000,000 in salaries, contracting, and materials for NC economy

Lockheed Martin expects these numbers to increase for NC as production continues to accelerate.

NC Military Sector
(Based on Department of Defense 2014-2016 data)

New construction and infrastructure improvements at MCAS Cherry Point: $1.3 BILLION through 2027.

Facility upgrades and new construction at FRC East: $300 MILLION through 2024.
Up to 128 F-35B may be stationed at MCAS Cherry Point; additional F-35Bs will be repaired and upgraded at FRC East.

An additional 1,194 military personnel and 2,323 dependents are anticipated to be located to the Cherry Point area as a result of the F-35B presence.

Future MCAS Cherry Point and FRC East Military Construction Projects

Unprecedented new construction is planned for MCAS Cherry Point and FRC East over the next 20 years. ACT is engaged in supporting these projects and working to ensure inclusion in the DOD proposed budgets and approval by the Congress.

These projects are designated priorities according to our contacts in the USMC and Congress. All subject to change based on USMC priorities and Congressional actions.

MCAS Cherry Point is an Exceptional National Defense Asset

We are all well aware of MCAS Cherry Point and FRC East’s economic impact. But why are these assets important for national security? Below is a list of some of the more impressive ways our local military neighbors are essential components of our Nation’s defense.

1. MCAS Cherry Point is the largest Marine Corps Air Station in the world. Cherry Point has over 13,000 acres inside the fence and access to over 16,000 acres in bombing ranges and outlying fields that Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force aviators use for training. Nearly 14,000 Marines, Sailors and civilians work aboard Cherry Point.

2. The Navy’s Infrastructure Analysis Team ranked Cherry Point as the most valuable USMC air station. The Marine Corps is planning to make MCAS Cherry Point the largest F-35B base in the nation.

3. Cherry Point is home to a unique and massive four-point runway system consisting of four runways of over 8,000 feet in each direction. The air station’s runways are so long they served as an alternate emergency landing site during NASA’s space shuttle program.

4. Cherry Point is the headquarters of the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (MAW), the aviation component of the II Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF). The mission of the MAW is to conduct air operations in support of the USMC to include offensive air support, anti-air warfare, assault support, aerial reconnaissance, electronic warfare, and control of aircraft and missiles. At Cherry Point, the MAW bases its Harrier and Prowler squadrons, including the USMC’s only Harrier training squadrons.

5. Cherry Point is the Aerial Port of Embarkation/Debarkation (APOE) for II MEF. The APOE also serves occasionally as the point of departure for other U.S. forces and international militaries. APOE serves around 50,000 troops and 10,000 short tons of supplies every year.

6. As of 2015 Cherry Point’s air traffic controllers manage more than 9,000 square miles of airspace for military, civil and commercial air traffic.

7. The major tenant command at Cherry Point is Fleet Readiness Center (FRC) East, a Naval Air maintenance and repair depot that is the nation’s “Vertical Lift Center of Excellence.” FRC East provides depot level maintenance for every fixed wing and rotor winged vertical lift aircraft flown by the USMC and the Navy, as well as providing limited support for other military services and federal agencies. More than 3,500 civilian employees work at FRC East. The replacement value of FRC East is at least $1.36 BILLION.

8. FRC East has access to approximately 100 acres of expansion property. Between MCAS Cherry Point and FRC East, there is significant room for additional structures and capabilities, making Cherry Point attractive for future industrial facility expansion to accommodate growing demands.

Congress has approved funding for security improvements at Cherry Point, clearing the way for future basing of the F-35B Joint Strike Fighter at the air station.

The $23.3 million project was included in the National Defense Authorization Act for 2016 after a committee reconciled differences between House and Senate versions of the bill before it was sent to President Obama for his signature. >>READ MORE

Should any money be left over in the Department of Defense budget, Cherry Point could see benefits with a pair of construction projects.

A new KC-130J Enlisted Air Crew Trainer Facility and new Unmanned Aircraft Systems facilities were part of the unfunded priority list approved by the House Armed Services Committee last week. Also included in the list is six Marine F-35B Joint Strike Fighters to replace six AV-8B Harriers that were destroyed in an attack in Afghanistan.

Approval would not have been possible without efforts from Havelock, the Allies for Cherry Point’s Tomorrow lobby group and the region. Rose said U.S. Reps. Walter B. Jones and G.K. Butterfield support the projects.

CHERRY POINT — A bipartisan group of legislators from North Carolina and Arizona have called for a halt on funding for the decommissioning of the military search-and-rescue helicopter known as Pedro.

The nonprofit organization Allies for Cherry Point’s Tomorrow announced late Friday its support of the latest effort to stave off the end of the Marine Corps’ longstanding program, which also assists in civilian searches and rescues.

A March 25 letter from a bipartisan coalition of North Carolina and Arizona members of the U.S. House, including Rep. Walter Jones, R-N.C. and Rep. G.K. Butterfield, D-N.C., called for the prohibition on funds that would be used to disband Marine Corps SAR missions and urged that these “vital units” must not be disbanded at least for next fiscal year.

The News-Times obtained a copy of the letter from Rep. Jones’ office Friday. The letter seeks language in the Defense Appropriations Act for fiscal 2016 that would prohibit the Marine Corps from divesting anymore aviation SAR units.

USMC has used SAR Units for 56 years

“The Marine Corps has used SAR Units for 56 years to rescue downed pilots and to assist federal, state, and local law enforcement with various SAR missions,” according to the letter, which includes as an example a rescue two weeks ago of a missing kayaker near Cedar Island.

The unit conducts similar missions about 50 times each year, according to the letter. It was also “essential to the humanitarian mission that followed Hurricane Floyd in 1999 when the unit rescued nearly 400 people from flooding,” the letter states.

Marc Finlayson, a consultant who works with the Allies organization, said the North Carolina delegation, and to some degree the Arizona delegation, want questions answered on how the SARs mission will be accomplished if the Marine Corps’ units are disbanded. The purported cost-savings of the disbanding have yet to be defined, Mr. Finlayson told the News-Times Friday.

“Because they haven’t yet gotten the answers and because the deadline is approaching for the units standing down, the Arizona and North Carolina legislators have asked the defense appropriation leadership to not expend any funds to disband the units until such time as those questions are answered,” Mr. Finlayson said.

He said there was no guarantee the leadership will abide by the request, but it was signed by 11 congressmen in both parties and from the two states. “I think that kind of request will be heeded; I hope so,” Mr. Finlayson said.

He said the intent is not to supercede a military decision, it’s just to get answers.

“ACT has worked closely with our congressional delegation to bring our concerns about Pedro to the attention of the Pentagon and key House and Senate committees,” Pete Rose, who represents ACT in Washington, DC., said in the Allies’ press release.

Republicans Rep. Jones and Sen. Thom Tillis wrote in January to the Secretary of the Navy about concerns regarding Pedro. In the letter, the lawmakers expressed concern that lifesaving missions in the region might be “compromised” by the duties being transferred from the Marine Corps to the Coast Guard. The letter sought details on the transition plan and cost projections.

“This most recent letter is a clear signal to the Congress and Pentagon that SAR is a core Marine Corps mission that should not be thrown off,” Mr. Rose said.

As first reported in November 2014, Pedro, as the Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point search and rescue squadron helicopters are commonly known, is set to be retired from those services in fiscal 2016. Officials say the process will be complete by Oct. 1.

The Marine Corps is cutting two search and rescue aviation units, including Marine Transport Squadron 1 at Cherry Point. In its place, the Marine Corps is to rely on U.S. Coast Guard SAR capabilities out of Elizabeth City.

The Cherry Point squadron and a similar unit at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz., are to be disbanded.

“I believe we need to carefully evaluate the full consequences of removing Pedro from the Marine Corps’ capabilities. ACT is concerned that losing Pedro will end MCAS Cherry Point’s role in SAR without a viable replacement plan,” said ACT President Greg Lewis in the press release.

“If the U.S. Coast Guard was to assume the SAR mission for Eastern North Carolina, the air assets would have to be located outside of the operational training areas for MCAS Cherry Point, and MCB Camp Lejeune. This would result in lengthened response times during critical emergencies, not only for the Marines but also for any Air Force units that Pedro supports in times of emergency,” said Frank Bottorff, Havelock’s city manager and former base commanding officer at MCAS Cherry Point.

“Although Pedro is a vital part of the Marine Corps presence in our region and is greatly valued by our local citizens, the plan to eliminate SAR from MCAS Cherry Point has not been explained or justified to the local community or our elected officials. ACT feels that the aviation plan does not address several key issues critical to MCAS Cherry Point and their civilian partners throughout the local region,” said James Norment, a member of ACT’s legal and lobbying team.

ACT has urged local governments and interested persons to raise questions about the loss of Pedro.

CHERRY POINT, NC: Allies for Cherry Point’s Tomorrow welcomes a Congressional push to protect the Marine Corps search and rescue (SAR) mission from being disbanded. The Marine Corps’ 2015 Aviation Plan called for the phase-out of the local SAR mission, affectionately called Pedro, by the end of 2015, for cost-savings reasons. A March 25 letter from a bipartisan coalition of North Carolina and Arizona members of the US House called for the prohibition on funds that would be used to disband Marine Corps SAR missions. These “vital units” must not be disbanded at least for next fiscal year, the letter concluded.

“ACT has worked closely with our Congressional delegation to bring our concerns about Pedro to the attention of the Pentagon and key House and Senate committees,” said Pete Rose, who represents ACT in Washington, DC. “In one of his first joint letters with Rep. Walter Jones, Senator Thom Tillis wrote to the Secretary of the Navy about his serious concerns over Pedro’s future. This most recent letter is a clear signal to the Congress and Pentagon that SAR is a core Marine Corps mission that should not be thrown off,” he added

“I believe we need to carefully evaluate the full consequences of removing Pedro from the Marine Corps’ capabilities. ACT is concerned that loosing Pedro will end MCAS Cherry Point’s role in SAR without a viable replacement plan,” said Greg Lewis, President of ACT.

“If the US Coast Guard was to assume the SAR mission for Eastern North Carolina, the air assets would have to be located outside of the operational training areas for MCAS Cherry Point, and MCB Camp Lejeune. This would result in lengthened response times during critical emergencies, not only for the Marines but also for any Air Force units that Pedro supports in times of emergency,” said Frank Bottorff, Havelock City Manager and former base commanding officer at MCAS Cherry Point.

The 2015 Marine Aviation Plan announced that Marine Corps Aviation will divest the dedicated SAR mission at MCAS Cherry Point during the first quarter of fiscal year 2016. The Aviation Plan states, without any details or explanation, that the U.S. Coast Guard will take over Pedro’s over-water SAR responsibilities.

“Although Pedro is a vital part of the Marine Corps presence in our region and is greatly valued by our local citizens, the plan to eliminate SAR from MCAS Cherry Point has not been explained or justified to the local community or our elected officials. ACT feels that the Aviation Plan does not address several key issues critical to MCAS Cherry Point and their civilian partners throughout the local region,” said James Norment, a local member of ACT’s legal and lobbying team.

ACT has urged local governments and interested persons to raise important questions about the loss of Pedro. For example:

Although the Marine Corps’ SAR mission is a valued and critically important part of MCAS Cherry Point’s service to its Marines and civilian neighbors, the Aviation Plan fails to provide any details for how the Marine Corps will divest SAR and ensure that SAR capabilities are not negatively impacted.

The Aviation Plan states that the US Coast Guard will take responsibility for SAR for Eastern North Carolina, but fails to explain how that transition will occur. As recently as late 2014, the US Coast Guard was planning on closing Air Facility Charleston, SC in an effort to save money. There is no guarantee that the US Coast Guard has the infrastructure or man-power necessary to assume responsibility for Eastern North Carolina SAR operations.

If the US Coast Guard was to assume the SAR mission for Eastern North Carolina, the air assets would have to be located outside of the operational training areas for MCAS Cherry Point, and MCB Camp Lejeune. This would result in lengthened response times during critical emergencies, not only for the Marines but also for any Air Force units that Pedro supports in times of emergency.

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